5 Tips for Making a Warranty Claim When Your Commercial Roof Leaks
There’s nothing like a roof leak to make you spring into action. Before you take matters into your own hands or open up the yellow pages, there are few things that you should know.
Find your warranty.
Most warranties have a term of 15 years and cover membrane deterioration and seam voids. Leaks caused by humans are typically excluded. A quick glance will tell you whether the roofing system is still under warranty. If you cannot locate the document, reconnect with the roofing contractor that installed the roof; they typically keep a copy.
Find out if your contractor can make the warranty claim.
Most major roof system manufacturers will allow the roofing contractor to file a claim – online or via email, letter, or phone call – on behalf of their customer. This is not true for all manufacturers, though. Read the warranty’s terms and conditions to find this out.
Act fast.
Don’t put off addressing leaks. There is specific verbiage in the manufacturer warranty regarding time of notification. It may stipulate that a claim be made within 30 days of when the leak was detected.
Don’t do the repairs yourself unless you have no other option.
Temporary repairs are sometimes necessary, even by roofing contractors, but the leak needs to be permanently repaired per the manufacturer specifications. Applying incompatible materials may increase a roofing contractor’s labor or temporarily void the warranty.
Hire a reputable contractor that is approved to make repairs on your roof system.
A company that is not trained in the installation and maintenance of the system you have may perform non-warranted repairs. The facility will then be responsible for paying an approved installer to undo and redo the work.
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